It is well known in the art to provide jack and switch frames which are mounted in panels and held in such panels by means of screws. The panels may contain designation strip assemblies which hide the mounting screws, for example, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,597,867.
In structures of this type the switch frames carrying electrical contact assemblies are usually made of metal which is bent in an L-shaped form and secured by means of screws or other fastening means to a plastic module adapted to be inserted in an opening from the rear of the panel. The plastic module also contains openings to receive separate sleeves that are brazed onto or otherwise fastened onto the L-shaped frames. These sleeves are adapted to receive electrical plugs or other types of electrical units such as pilot lamps or the like which, when inserted through the sleeves, are received by one or more assemblies of contact blades usually mounted on the rear portion of the frame by means of screws.
The manufacture of units of the type described involves a number of separate operations and the insertion of these units in panels normally requires relatively small screws that are difficult to handle.
It would, therefore, be desirable to provide new and improved modular jack structures with the elimination of costly manufacturing steps. There is also a need for frame and switch assemblies which can be mounted in a panel without the necessity for using screws or other similar type devices in order to secure the frame and switch assembly in the panel, but which can also be mounted in a panel with screws, if it is desired to do so.